No doubt several of the screenshots have already caught your eye; I’m sure we’re in agreement that the graphical standard in Silent Storm is sublime. It undoubtedly qualifies for the accolade of ‘Best Looking TBS Game Ever’ at any rate. Bit of a one-horse race though… Wondering around the levels, you’d be forgiven for thinking everything was pre-rendered; although slightly restricted, you are given an acceptable range of camera control in this fully 3D environment. Every character is wonderfully animated, moving seamlessly and realistically between actions - even the death sequences are a treasure to behold. Much like the ‘rag doll’ techniques used in the latest first person shooters, soldiers will crumple when they’re critically hit; at one point I managed to send a trooper somersaulting with a blast from a heavy machinegun, leaving him draped over a garden wall some way off. Even when they’re dead there’s no refuge from the hail of bullets, stray shots often leaving wound marks on fallen soldiers. The detail is unparalleled. The carnage doesn’t just apply to humans either – bullets rip through wooden structures, shatter windows and furniture, and leave bullet holes in masonry. For the pyromaniacs among you, explosives can be used to literally level buildings, whether you just want to create an improvised doorway or collapse the floor beneath a group of soldiers. Nothing like making Swiss cheese from a listed building…